Citi Commercial Bank expands into Japan, supporting mid-market businesses with global ambitions

Citi announced the launch of its City Commercial Bank (CCB) business in Japan on Monday. The launch is part of Citi’s strategy to establish a presence in key growth markets across each cluster. CCB will focus on supporting Japanese mid-market companies at all stages of their growth journey by leveraging Citi’s extensive global network and providing products and solutions tailored to their strategic needs.

The Japan expansion complements Citi’s existing banking presence in Japan, which serves large Japanese corporates and multinational clients with global operations. Through CCB, Citi will further support the growth aspirations, day-to-day operations, and cross-border financial needs of Japanese mid-market companies. The opening of CCB in Japan follows the establishment of the business in France and Ireland in 2022, and Germany, Switzerland, and Canada in 2023.

In conjunction with the launch, Citi has appointed Hiroshi Naito as Head of CCB in Japan. In this role, Naito will oversee the operations of CCB in the country. He will drive business growth, performance, and new client relationships. Naito will also work closely with the market, service, and banking teams to offer Citi’s comprehensive suite of financial products and solutions to CCB clients. Naito joined Citi in 2019 as the Head of Sales for Corporate Public Sector within the Treasury and Trade Solutions business.

“Citi is globally focused on supporting the growth journeys of mid-market companies,” said Gunjan Kaura, Head of CCB, Japan, North Asia, Australia, and South Asia. “Japan has a vibrant ecosystem of newly innovative companies with global cross-border business needs. We are well-positioned to support these companies in their business challenges through our global network. Our expansion into Japan reaffirms our commitment to serving the Japanese market and its businesses and underscores the importance of the Japanese market within our global Commercial Banking strategy.”

CCB provides mid-market companies with a comprehensive suite of financial services that offer the same depth of financial solutions typically offered to large corporates, tailored to the needs of the businesses. The business covers a broad range of services including trade and working capital, cash management, global markets capabilities, capital markets solutions, and advisory services. By leveraging Citi’s global network with presence in over 100 countries, CCB aims to drive the strategic growth of its clients.

With the Japan launch, CCB now serves clients in 12 Asian markets, including: Australia, Mainland China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

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